Case 1:18-cr-00032-DLF Document 1 Filed 02/16/18 Page 11 of 37
U.S. personas, which he used to post, monitor, and update social media content for the ORGANIZATION.
Federal Regulatory Agencies
25. The Federal Election Commission is a federal agency that administers the Federal Election Campaign Act (“FECA”). Among other things, FECA prohibits foreign nationals from making any contributions, expenditures, independent expenditures, or disbursements for electioneering communications. FECA also requires that individuals or entities who make certain independent expenditures in federal elections report those expenditures to the Federal Election Commission. The reporting requirements permit the Federal Election Commission to fulfill its statutory duties of providing the American public with accurate data about the financial activities of individuals and entities supporting federal candidates, and enforcing FECA’s limits and prohibitions, including the ban on foreign expenditures.
26. The U.S. Department of Justice administers the Foreign Agent Registration Act (“FARA”). FARA establishes a registration, reporting, and disclosure regime for agents of foreign principals (which includes foreign non-government individuals and entities) so that the U.S. government and the people of the United States are informed of the source of information and the identity of persons attempting to influence U.S. public opinion, policy, and law. FARA requires, among other things, that persons subject to its requirements submit periodic registration statements containing truthful information about their activities and the income earned from them. Disclosure of the required information allows the federal government and the American people to evaluate the statements and activities of such persons in light of their function as foreign agents.
27. The U.S. Department of State is the federal agency responsible for the issuance of non-immigrant visas to foreign individuals who need a visa to enter the United States. Foreign
11
